Presidential Pumpkin Patch

Obama and the First Lady take a break from pitching the Jobs Act and buy a 70 pound “full moon pumpkin” for the White House.

Travel print pool report #4 — pumpkin patch stop

At about 11:30 a.m. POTUS and FLOTUS, riding the imposing Ground Force One, stopped at a roadside farmer’s market in Hampton called “Wood’s Orchard Farm Market,” which was chock full of pumpkins. Owners Billy and Betty Wood said they have been in business for 60 years, married for 51, and working at this location on East Mercury Blvd. since the 1940s. A billboard read: “Pumpkin Patch Open Hayrides” and had hours of the rides on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Another sign read: “No credit cards under $10.”

POTUS and FLOTUS spent about 20 minutes inspecting pumpkins, as well as some other goods, such as fruit, jams and honey. Billy Wood informed the president that there are 8 varieties of sweet potatoes. A handmade sign on a pillar read: “Pie pumpkins $3.00 each.”

“You know Michelle does a good job promoting produce,” Obama replied. “She tries to get everyone to eat their vegetables.”

Obama talked a lot to the shopkeepers, but Michelle Obama was busy inspecting pumpkins. She seemed very interested in oversized white-colored ones, which Betty Wood later explained were called “full moon pumpkins.” Michelle Obama picked one up by wrapping both arms around it to load it into a metal rolling cart with a long metal handle. Betty Wood later estimated the pumpkin could weigh 70 pounds.

POTUS quipped: “Don’t hurt yourself now.” .. He yelled out to an aide: “We are we going to put it? In the back of the bus?”

Michelle Obama loaded more into the cart. “How many are you going to buy?” POTUS asked. “You want anything else?”

“No, we’ll have enough trouble getting these back,” she said.

POTUS approached the cash register. They had about 10 pumpkins, including two of the full moons. He also had two red apples, a bag of peanuts and a jar of yellow-colored syrup that appeared to possibly be honey. He handed Billy Wood some $20s. (We think the cost came to about $60, but it is not clear.)

Obama asked if they would take a picture together and also promised to send photos of the pumpkins back to the store.

“We’re going to send pictures of the pumpkins outside the White House,” he said, shortly before they carried the pumpkins back onto Ground Force One and the caravan rolled onward.